1940 - American novelist and short story writer F Scott Fitzgerald died from a heart attack in Hollywood. He was 44.

1958 - Charles De Gaulle became President of France.

1962 - Rondane National Park was established as Norway’s first national park.

1963 - The episode of intercommunal violence called Bloody Christmas began in Cyprus, ultimately resulting in the displacement of 25,000-30,000 Turkish Cypriots and the destruction of more than 100 villages.

1965 - Plans were introduced to the House of Commons for a road safety bill, which would include a legal alcohol limit and random breath tests.

1967 - Louis Washkansky, the first man to undergo a heart transplant, died in Cape Town having lived for 18 days after the transplant.

1968 - Apollo 8 launched from cape Kennedy. It was the first flight to take man into orbit around the moon.

1988 - A Pan Am jet blew up mid-flight, over the Scottish town of Lockerbie. In total, 259 people on board the flight and 11 on the ground died.

1995 - The city of Bethlehem passed from Israeli to Palestinian control.

2003 - A secret list of 300 people who had refused knighthoods and other honours was released. It included David Bowie and John Cleese.